Common Moonwort vs Eurasian badger

Botrychium lunaria compared with Meles meles

Key Differences

Common Moonwort is Endangered while Eurasian badger is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Moonwort	Eurasian badger
Kingdom	Plantae (plantas)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Botrychium	Meles
Species	Botrychium lunaria	Meles meles

Conservation Status

Common Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Eurasian badger

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Moonwort	Eurasian badger
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Eurasian badger

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Moonwort

Common Moonwort (<em>Botrychium lunaria</em>) is a small fern in the genus <em>Botrychium</em>, family Ophioglossaceae. It is distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America, with confirmed presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as Taiwan and the United States. The species is typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies. Common Moonwort is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it faces significant conservation challenges across its range. Its distinctive frond is divided into two parts: a sterile fan-shaped leaf portion with rounded lobes resembling a crescent moon, and a fertile spike bearing spore-bearing structures. As a fern ally rather than a flowering plant, it reproduces via spores rather than seeds. The species is associated with stable, undisturbed habitats including ancient grasslands, upland heaths, and rocky slopes. Its sensitivity to habitat disturbance and changes in land management are thought to contribute to population declines. Specific biological measurements such as lifespan and dimensions are not documented in available records.

Eurasian badger

O texugo-europeu (Meles meles) é classificado como Vulnerável (VU) na Lista Vermelha da IUCN. Enfrenta alto risco de ameaça no estado selvagem, com populações em declínio e crescente pressão sobre o habitat.